Mysterious 2000-Year-Old Carved Vishap Stone Monuments Of Armenia
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Vishap stones represent one of the more interesting mysteries of Armenian archaeology.
Vishaps are menhirs (large carved stones) that date back to 2000 BC. These formations, which had once religious significance, are believed to be related to water.
Vishap means for the Armenians - 'dragon' and such stone has a dragon or serpent-shaped 'head' carved at the top.
Usually, the Armenian vishaps have cylindrical or cigar-shaped forms and are grey in color. Their true ancient name is vishapakahr, derived from the Armenian word “vishap” meaning “serpent/dragon,” and “kahr” meaning “stone.” They can be from 10 to 20 feet tall.
In Armenia's pre-historic period, there was the worship of “Vishaps” (dragons), associated with the marine origins of life. Their likenesses in the form of large stone-fish figures were placed near water springs and canals.
The ancient Armenians believed that their land - "Land of the Armenians" - was protected by
Vahagn, who was worshiped as the God of War, Thunder, and Lightning. He fought the Vishaps,
killing them with his powerful lightning strikes.
Sometimes, the most ancient vishaps are so weathered or altered by weather and time that inscriptions on them are difficult to decipher.
One of the vishaps can be found at Garni, an ancient village, which was once a settlement inhabited almost continuously since 3000 BC. This vishap-formation is covered with a cuneiform inscription dated to the 6th century. Later, crosses were added to some of the vishaps to make them more like Christian monuments.
Tracing distant past of the vishaps, scholars determined that they could have been the forerunners of stelae - tetragonal (with four sides) columns standing on a cube-shaped base and functioning as gravestones or memorial stones.
They often had carvings depicting religious subjects in form of saints, biblical scenes or angels.
People do not know where they originate from and how they ended up in Armenia. According to Armenian mythology vishaps are dragons, which live in the mountains, especially on Mount Ararat.
They have been found on the north-eastern shore of Lake Sevan (the largest body of water in Armenia and the Caucasus region) and are often in association with water engineering and construction of big and small artificial lakes and a complex system of canals joining them.
Today, almost all Vishap (Dragon) stones are devastated; they were intentionally knocked down.
The exact dating of these megaliths presents certain difficulties. In the vicinity of these enigmatic ancient figures, there are no remnants of ancient settlements, fires, or other fossils, to which the radiocarbon analysis could be applied.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesReferences:
D. Holding, Armenia
More From Ancient Pages
-
Knights Templar’s Mysterious Underground Chambers Hidden In The Caynton Caves Discovered
Archaeology | Apr 13, 2021
-
Experts Restore Ceremonial Boat Of Pharaoh Cheops At On-Site Antiquities Laboratory
Archaeology | Mar 30, 2017
-
Sophisticated Lenses Of Minoans Discovered In The Sacred Idaion (Ideon) Cave
Civilizations | May 31, 2017
-
When And Why Was Yakuza, The Japanese Mafia Founded?
Ancient History Facts | Jun 12, 2021
-
Templo Mayor – Sacred Aztec Complex Dedicated To Gods Tlaloc And Huitzilopochtli Who Were Usually Appeased With Human Sacrifices
Featured Stories | Jan 23, 2018
-
The ‘Stonehenge Calendar’ Is Much More Modern Than Previously Thought – Scientists Say
Archaeoastronomy | Mar 24, 2023
-
What Is The Curse Of The Ninth Symphony?
Ancient History Facts | Aug 3, 2018
-
Rare 2nd Temple-Era Etchings Of Menorah And Cross Discovered In The Judean Hills
Archaeology | Jan 8, 2017
-
The Day When The Sun Did Not Come Out – Bizarre Event In 1780, New England
Featured Stories | Apr 18, 2023
-
On This Day In History: First Siege Of Rome Began – On March 2, 537
News | Mar 2, 2017
-
Incredible Roman Necropolis With Dressed Skeletons Buried In Ornate Tombs Discovered Close To The Ancient City Of Tarquinia
Archaeology | Jan 9, 2024
-
Surprising DNA Study Links Present-Day Native American Tribe To Ancestors In San Francisco Bay Area
Archaeology | Mar 22, 2022
-
Unique Flagship ‘Gribshunden’: Spectacular Discoveries
Archaeology | Oct 2, 2019
-
2,500-Year-Old Tibetan Medical Text Describes A Coronavirus-Like Outbreak In Surprisingly Accurate Details
News | Oct 26, 2020
-
Among Ancient Maya Cacao Was Used In Celebrations And Was Common To All People
Archaeology | Sep 27, 2022
-
Scathach – The Shadowy One – Legendary Martial Arts Teacher Who Trained Cuchulainn And Other Warriors
Featured Stories | Mar 4, 2019
-
Lady Midday – ‘Poludnica’- An Evil, Elusive Female Field-Spirit In Slavic Beliefs That Comes To Kill At Noon
Featured Stories | Jan 7, 2019
-
Bristol Academic Cracks Voynich Code – Century-Old Mystery Solved
Archaeology | May 15, 2019
-
Ancient Mystery Of A Lost Polar Civilization That Vanished Without A Trace
Civilizations | Dec 27, 2020
-
Underground Orvieto – Etruscan ‘City Under A City’ With Labyrinth, Tunnels, Pyramidal Structures, Oil Mills And Water Supply
Featured Stories | Jul 2, 2022